Contrary to popular belief, cheese balls aren’t just for holiday consumption, especially when bacon is involved. There are a variety of ways to jazz up your average cheese ball, but the addition of bacon makes it the perfect tailgating snack. If you’re looking for a tailgating crowd-pleasing appetizer, whip up a bacon cheddar cheese ball and the big game won’t be the only thing your crew will be talking about.

Bacon Cheddar Cheese Ball   
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty Level: Easy

Ingredients:       

• 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
• Half pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• Half cup green onions, thinly sliced
• 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 clove garlic, minced

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix them together with a spatula until evenly distributed while saving a strip of bacon for decoration. Try your best to form the mixture into a football shape. Using plastic wrap or wax paper will help to keep your hands clean in this process.

After you are happy with the shape, wrap the ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight.

On game day, present the cheese ball on a plate and use the remaining bacon strips to make laces. Serve the cheese ball with crackers, tortilla chips or any other dipping component you like.

Additional Flavor Options:

*Make it a bacon ranch cheddar cheese ball with the addition of a package of Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning.
*Make it spicy with the addition of red pepper flakes or jalapenos.

Still not cheesy enough for you?  Try these Chili Cheese Haystacks!

A Minnesota native that was born and raised Up North, Minneapolis is where Christina Kalinowski currently calls home. Christina appreciates irony, loves bacon, enjoys a hearty libation (drink responsibly, folks), and is an avid proponent of the Swanson Pyramid of Greatness. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.